It All
by Lyra Verse
Summary: Rick is not himself upon entering the Alexandria Safe Zone. He wants Jessie, Michonne, and leadership. He wants it all.
1. Chapter 1

\- This fic isn't exactly rainbows and sunshine. It features crazy Rick and the ending is fitting (I believe) for crazy Rick. -

Chapter 1:

Rick shuffled into his new house at the Alexandria Safe Zone. On passing the doorway to the living room, he noticed a figure standing in the middle of the room, her sword at her side. He stood still and leaned against the door frame. The alcohol from the party was still swimming in his system and making his body feel like liquid metal.

"Hey," he said. "I didn't see you at the party."

Michonne turned around to see an inebriated Rick. "Yeah," Michonne answered. "...I was trying..."

"Aren't we all?"

Rick walked further into the room. "What are you doing?"

Michonne looked down at the sword in her hands. It was heavy. It was starting to become heavier and heavier lately. She was contemplating putting it down. For good. Opening her mouth to voice her thoughts, Michonne stopped herself when she saw Rick's slouched frame and half-open eyes. He wasn't in the right state for her to talk about her worries right now. "Nothing..." she said.

She watched Rick give her a half-smile and then trail his eyes up and down her outfit. She felt herself get slightly self-conscious but she stood her ground.

Rick chuckled. "You're in a dress," he said. He found that amusing and...charming...for Michonne.

"Yeah," she responded. "Like I said. I was trying." She glanced at Rick's outfit in return. "You don't look too bad yourself. You look like you tried and succeeded." The corners of her lips lifted into a smile.

The smile was catching; Rick found it on his own lips. "Are you flirting with me?" he asked teasingly.

"Are you drunk?" Michonne reciprocated. Rick chuckled and Michonne took that as a response. "Yeah," she said, her smile wider. "You're drunk."

"Not really," Rick said. "It's just been a while since I had alcohol."

"I'm surprised you drank anything," Michonne said. "Are you starting to trust these people?" She studied his face. If he had begun to trust them, she could start feeling more at ease as well.

"Not all of 'em," Rick said.

"...But Jessie?" Rick and Michonne stared at each other. There was a sudden odd quiet in the air. "I saw you talking to her at the party."

Rick nodded. He had mentioned Jessie to Michonne on their first round of duty as police officers at Alexandria. There wasn't much to do but talk once they started patrolling. "So you saw me but I didn't see you," Rick said, not answering the question.

"Mm," Michonne responded.

Rick smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Just be careful Rick," Michonne continued. "She's married."

Rick shrugged. "I know that."

Rick squinted at her. Michonne stared back. "...What are you up to, Rick?" she asked.

Rick shook his head. "Nothing." The corner of his mouth was lifted into a small smile. Like a cat that ate a canary.

"Okay..." Michonne said. "Well, whatever you're up to...I hope it doesn't get us kicked out of this place because-"

"Nothing's going to get us kicked out," Rick said, interrupting her. "Now that we're here, we're not leaving."

Michonne tilted her head, wary of the threatening tone in Rick's voice. "Rick..."

Realizing that he was treading into dangerous waters with someone as intuitive as Michonne, he stepped forward and pinched the fabric of her dress between his forefinger and his thumb. He tugged, causing her to step forward, closer to him and he finished closing the gap. They were chest to chest. Michonne took in a breath of air, inhaling the scent of alcohol as well as the scent that was inherently Rick. "What are you doing?" Michonne asked, releasing her sword and allowing it to fall against the armchair behind Rick for support.

She didn't back down when she felt Rick's arms wrap around her waist. She studied his face closely. Rick was looking at her in a dangerous way. As if she was a wild animal that he could tame and he wouldn't mind taming her. Michonne's stomach flipped and her center of heat began to ask for attention. She was aroused and she wasn't surprised. She had begun to have certain thoughts about the man that was in front of her for a while now and those thoughts had begun to become more frequent now that they were in a place of seemingly relative safety. And that look he was giving her...she was sure he could tame her too. Because she had become domesticated long ago. He was the wild one now.

But she didn't allow her arousal to show in her features. The smell of alcohol on Rick's breath was sobering to her.

Rick smirked when Michonne didn't pull away. A darkening of desire flickered in her eyes and her gaze fell to Rick's lips long enough for him to know she wasn't immune to his advances. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "This evening I was told that everyone spoke highly of me in their interviews...what did you say?"

"You've done a lot for us Rick..."

"What did you say?"

"I told them you took me in when I needed it most..."

"Mm-hmm?"

"You're a great leader..."

"Mm-hmm..."

"You're a great father..."

"Go on..."

"And you're a great man."

Rick had been leaning closer to Michonne's lips with each statement. After her final statement, his lips brushed against hers. Barely a touch but it made their hearts flutter.

Michonne pulled back. Rick didn't release her. He was breathing heavily now and looking at her with hungry eyes. He held her tighter against him; Michonne could feel his hardness pressing against her pelvis. A throbbing started between her legs as her womanly needs became more demanding. "You're drunk, Rick," she said again.

"I'm really not," he said again. Overconfident. Cocky, maybe. But not drunk. He leaned forward and kissed her full lips again before he moved down and began to pepper kisses along her neck and collarbone.

Michonne released a sigh of pleasure and she hoped her good senses would keep her from going further. When Rick pushed his hardness against Michonne's center, allowing her to feel exactly what he had for her, Michonne managed to regain some sense of self. She pushed him, causing him to fall back into the armchair that they stood in front of.

He looked up at her and Michonne turned away, rubbing a frustrated hand across her face. There was so much wrong with this. Rick had alcohol in his system, they had an established relationship that couldn't and shouldn't be ruined, and Rick was obviously not feeling like himself. He hadn't been himself since they stepped foot into this place.

But... "Shit," Michonne cursed.

She was horny.

She turned to face Rick and pulled the long skirt of her dress up to her thighs before stalking forward to straddle him.

Rick grasped her hips and pulled her hard against him as he captured her lips with a growl.

Michonne opened her lips to him and allowed Rick to push his tongue into her mouth. They kissed passionately like that while Michonne ground against him, anticipating the feeling of having a man inside of her. Having _Rick_ inside of her. After having been so long without.

Rick was anticipating being inside a woman such as Michonne as well. For so long he had admired her without ever really thinking that anything could come of it. Now she was moving atop him just as hot as he was. Rick flipped her over so that she was below him and pushed the skirt of her dress up to her waist.

Michonne gasped when Rick ran his knuckles across her throbbing center and her sword went crashing to the carpeted floor with the widening of her legs.

"Rick. Rick. Wait," Michonne whispered. She was still battling with herself over this.

"Why wait?" Rick asked.

Breathing heavily, Michonne fought to keep her senses about her as Rick kissed and sucked at her neck and as her vagina told her to just shut up and keep going.

"Stop, stop," she whispered.

Rick sighed and stopped kissing her. "What is it?" he whispered, looking into her eyes and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, Rick. But I can tell that you're not... _you_ right now," Michonne said. "...Maybe we should just talk. For a minute."

Rick chuckled. "I'm more me than I've ever been."

"No, you're not," Michonne whispered. "I can usually read you but lately you've been careful about...guarding yourself against me. I can't tell what you're really thinking."

"I'm thinking that I want to take your panties off," Rick teased. He ran his palm along her center.

Michonne sucked breath between her teeth and sat up, away from Rick. She would never get anywhere if she kept being distracted by her lust for this man.

Rick sighed and sat back onto the floor, seeing that Michonne wasn't going to allow herself to be distracted anymore.

They sat in silence for a moment, Michonne in the armchair and Rick on the floor.

"What do you want to know?" Rick finally asked.

"Do you not trust Deanna?" Michonne asked.

"It's not that I don't trust her..."

Michonne waited for Rick to finish his thought. But then she didn't have to wait anymore. She knew his thought. She had met Deanna and she trusted that the woman had good intentions...it wasn't that he didn't trust her.

"You think she's weak," Michonne supplied.

Rick looked up at her. "And not just her," he said. "Everyone here."

"Don't you think they must have done _something_ right to survive this long?"

"They were lucky," Rick said. "Just think if someone like the Governor ventured through this area..."

Michonne sucked air between her teeth. She didn't even like the mention of that man. "Being lucky is a skill too," she stated. "And the fact that you think these people are weak..."

Rick stared at her; now he was the one waiting for her to finish a thought.

"The Governor thought _his_ people were weak. The fight turned on him."

A surge of anger ran through Rick's body. His brow furrowed. "Are you comparing me to that psychopath?" he growled between his teeth.

"I would never want to do that," Michonne said. "But remember what Tara said. He told himself he was protecting their family. You're telling yourself that you're protecting _us_."

Rick stood up, unable to believe what he was hearing. "I am _not_ that man."

"I know," Michonne said. She stood as well. "I know, Rick. You're not him. And you won't allow yourself to _become_ him. I know that." She walked forward and cupped his face in her hands. "I trust you. Now trust yourself. Your _gut_ is telling you that this place is good. That this is where we need to be. Allow yourself to trust the people here too. You can look at them as more than fodder. They're _people_ who have managed to survive until now. Just like us. They may not be as strong as they need to be right now but we can _make_ them strong. Like we've made each other strong."

Rick felt the warmth in Michonne's touch. He heard the warmth in her voice. His eyes fell to her lips and he moved forward to claim them once again.

Michonne allowed him to kiss her but kept the pace slow and then she pulled away to look into his eyes. She wanted to make sure he was hearing her.

Rick knew what she was looking for. "I get it," he said with a lopsided smile. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Probably still be going around seeing your dead wife..." Michonne joked. She regretted saying it the minute it left her lips. "I'm sorry," she amended as Rick stared at her. "I shouldn't joke about that."

"It's okay," Rick said. "You're probably right." He walked away from Michonne for a moment, facing the photos of unrelated people...unrelated families...that still decorated the walls. "I've been thinking about her a lot lately. I was telling Daryl that this is the kind of place that she always wanted to live in with us. ...It's ironic that we literally had to wait until the end of the world before we could get here. And she's not even here with us..."

Michonne empathized with him. She wanted to go forward and touch him but she knew this was a moment that he needed to go through by himself.

They were silent for a moment more before Rick turned to her. "What about you?" he asked. "Did you ever want to live in a place like this?"

Michonne shrugged. "This place isn't too bad. But I liked my old apartment better." When she saw Rick's curious eyebrow, she explained. "I had a high-rise in Atlanta."

Rick's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "No kidding! What did you do before all of this?"

"I was a lawyer," Michonne answered.

"Really? I didn't know that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"I should really start fixing that..." The air grew thick as Rick stared at Michonne. "You wanna know what I want to know about you first and foremost?"

"What?" Michonne asked.

"What the rest of your body looks like."

Michonne stared at Rick, her breathing slow and heavy again. "What's going on with you tonight?" Michonne asked, her heart beating in her chest.

"Nothing," Rick said. "I just know what I want. And it's time that I started going after it." He stalked forward towards Michonne. "Because even though we're behind these walls...we still live in a dangerous world. So we should make use of the time that we've got."

He reached Michonne and placed his hand on her shoulders. When she didn't stop him, he slowly began to bare her shoulders by pushing the fabric of the dress aside. When he began to meet resistance with the fabric, he tore it so that it slid down her body with ease. In no time, she was standing with a bare torso – only her bra to keep her modesty. Michonne drew in a breath of air.

"I still don't know what's going on with you," Michonne said quietly, as Rick began to move closer. "But I'm gonna trust myself to you. All of myself..."

Rick couldn't know how much those words truly meant for Michonne. She had been through hell and back with Mike and her brother. And the person who had brought her back was Rick and her son. He would never know how much that meant to her.

She slid the dress off of her arms and let it slide to the floor and pool at her feet until she stood in only her underwear in front of Rick. He admired her smooth, dark skin. She was beautiful.

"You're beautiful," he rasped aloud.

Michonne kissed his lips and she began to unbutton his shirt, pushing all doubts and reservations about what she was about to do to the back of her mind. This was Rick. She would die for him. She would follow him into hell. She loved him. That was enough.

Rick finished pulling his shirt off once Michonne had gotten it completely unbuttoned. He felt her hands move to his jeans and begin to work the button and zipper free. He did an inward victory dance. Michonne was his. This was happening.

He and Michonne finished ridding themselves of their clothing until they were both bare in each other's eyes and then Rick took her to the floor. He entered her and her quiet moans filled the darkness of the room until they were both sweating and shaking in each other's arms.

As they both came down from their explosion of ecstasy, Rick buried his face in the crook of her neck and tasted the sweat there. He knew it was because of him. His passion. He bit her with his teeth, marking her, leaving behind the imprint of teeth marks.

Michonne winced but allowed him to do as he pleased. When he rolled off of her, Rick and Michonne breathed together. They let the air in the room cool their bodies and dry their sweat.

"...We should probably get upstairs," Michonne said. "I don't want anyone to come down for a drink of water and find us like this."

"You go ahead," Rick said. "I'll follow in a minute."

Michonne turned to him. "...Okay," she said. She started to make a move, hesitated, then decided to finish what she started. She kissed Rick quickly on the cheek and then stood up. It was going to take some getting used to on her part to start thinking 'Rick Grimes: Boyfriend...' She smiled at the title as she began to dress. Then again...maybe it wouldn't take long at all. When she was done dressing, holding the dress up so that it wouldn't fall, she bid another goodbye to Rick (who was now sitting up and watching her with a smile) and then she made her way upstairs.

Rick put his own clothes on then stood in the middle of the living room for a moment, looking down at the spot where he had just taken Michonne. He smiled.

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The next morning, Rick walked around Alexandria with a spring in his step. He hadn't been lying when he told Michonne that there was no way they were leaving this place. This is the place they had been searching for all along.

He saw Jessie and Pete stroll by with smiles on their faces. Jessie saw him and flashed him the 'A' on her hand. He smiled and flashed it back.

Her husband placed his hand on the small of her back to continue leading her down the street. Rick watched them with a predatory glare. He placed his hand on the forbidden gun he had tucked into the band of his pants.

He had heard the words Michonne spoke last night, but this time...he couldn't quite agree. These people _were_ weak. And he _would_ do anything to protect his family. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.

He had been through hell out there on the outside and he had survived it all. There was nothing he couldn't get through. There was nothing he couldn't have. He could have Michonne. He could have Jessie. He could have Alexandria. He could have it all.

\- Ugh. You can tell I had negative feelings after the last episode. It leaked into my writing and I wrote a disgusting Rick. He succeeded in bedding Michonne so now, more than ever, he feels like he can get anything he wants. I'm tempted to write a follow-up story. We'll see. -


	2. Chapter 2

**-** This particular short still may not be done just yet. We'll see. -

Chapter 2:

Rick buried himself in Michonne's wet warmth.

Their heavy breaths filled the room, only adding to the passion and lust Rick was feeling. Michonne released a soft moan and wrapped her arms around Rick's shoulders. "Rick," she whispered. His name falling from her lips like a prayer. "Rick."

Rick smiled down at her, a devilish look on his handsome face. He was enjoying watching her squirm beneath him. But he wanted more. He wanted her to beg for him. To plead for him. To scream for him.

He took her arms and pressed them to the pillow on each side of her head. Lacing his fingers with hers, he held her there.

Michonne grasped his hands tight as Rick began to thrust into her with a slow, deliberate, circle of his hips. She began to circle her own hips to meet his thrusts. She normally didn't consider herself a greedy person but at this moment, she wanted all of Rick all at once. She lifted her head, trying to capture Rick's lips with her own.

He pulled away. Smirked down at her. He was teasing.

Michonne fell back onto her pillow, disappointed. Rick bucked his hips forward in one hard, deep stroke, breaking the rhythm he had started moments before. Michonne gasped and clamped down on her lip, containing herself. She was thinking about the other people in the house. She didn't want to disturb them and she didn't think sex noises should be the way that everyone – that _Carl –_ found out about her and Rick.

Rick watched her keep herself from moaning. 'We can't have that,' he thought. He wanted her to lose control beneath him.

He began the slow circle of his hips again. Michonne pushed against the bed with the soles of her feet. Pushing her hips against him, trying to increase the pace. Her walls pulled at him desperately. Rick breathed heavily, trying to maintain his wits.

In his moment of weakness, when his eyes were closed, Michonne attempted a kiss again. She quickly pulled herself up and planted her full lips against his before falling back onto the bed. There was a spark of surprise in Rick's eyes when he opened them. He chuckled when he saw Michonne's impish smile.

Rick: 1, Michonne: 1.

He gave her another quick, hard thrust for being mischievous. A squeak of surprise and pleasure left Michonne's throat.

Rick released her hands and fell against her chest. Screw games for a minute, he was going to give her exactly what she wanted and take exactly what he needed.

Michonne's arms, free from their entrapment, wrapped around Rick's shoulders once again and her thighs squeezed Rick's hips as he began to rut on top of her and into her. Michonne's mouth opened and she had to fight hard to keep her screams inside. She gripped Rick tight and breathed heavily.

Her breath against his ear was just another aphrodisiac for Rick. He grunted as he quickened the pace of his thrusts.

Michonne clawed at his back and rolled her hips to meet Rick's shaft thrust for thrust.

Michonne felt herself coming towards a climax and she thought Rick was almost there too but he suddenly stopped. He pulled away. Pulled out.

Michonne reached for him. "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes confused. Her core wanting.

Rick smirked at her and moved down, placing his head between her thighs.

Michonne scooted away from him when she realized what he was planning. "No, Rick," she said. "I'm gonna come if you do that. Don't-"

Rick cut her off by wrapping his hands around her thighs and pulling her back down towards him. His mouth was on her before she knew it. "Rick, no!" His tongue lapping at her aroused center shot pleasure through Michonne's entire body. She grasped the covers, wanting to pull away but trapped by sheer desire.

She fought against release, wanting to come with Rick inside of her. Not like this.

Rick subtly moved his hips against the bedsheets, creating friction for his hardness as he lapped at Michonne's wetness. Her scent turned him on to no end.

Michonne groaned, her entire body tightening as she fought against her coming orgasm. "Rick. Please," she whispered. "Please."

Rick smiled against her. He had her exactly where he wanted her. He lifted his head from between her thighs, giving her a moment of relief. Michonne breathed heavily. "Get inside of me, Rick," she pleaded.

'Not yet,' Rick thought. He tapped his hand lightly against Michonne's bundle of nerves.

Michonne jerked as pleasure shot through her body. Rick did it again, eliciting the same response. He was enamored with the fact that he could have such control over Michonne's body. He placed the pad of his fingers against Michonne's clitoris and began to rub against it gently but firmly.

Michonne's eyes rolled closed and her mouth opened on a silent scream. She grasped Rick's wrist, trying to get him to stop. The pleasure was too much.

Rick brushed her hand aside and placed his tongue between her womanly folds again.

"Ohhh!" All of the muscles in Michonne's body clenched and then she released. Shaky breaths left her lips as she experienced a high like never before. As her pleasure juices left her body, Rick moved forward once again and plunged inside of her. Michonne's eyes opened wide and she released a loud scream as her pleasure escalated to new heights.

Rick groaned as Michonne's walls tremored around him, clenching and unclenching his hardness.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, Rick," Michonne gasped.

Rick began to move inside of her again. She was now wetter than ever. He had never felt such a sensation. He clenched his teeth together, trying to keep his own orgasm at bay as he watched Michonne. His eyes dark with lust and power.

"Rick. Yes. God!" Michonne was no longer thinking about noise levels. She was too busy reveling in the sensations Rick was creating by entering into her now overly sensitive area. She knew that she would probably be tender in the morning but a hot bath could fix that. Nothing could take away the pleasure she felt right now.

She squirmed beneath him, moaning his name. "Yeah," Rick whispered, becoming more and more passionate as he watched her. "That's what I want."

Rick: 2, Michonne: 1.

Michonne lifted her hips from the bed so that he could enter her deeper. She wanted more of him. Her appetite for him was insatiable. Rick breathed heavily as he filled her completely. As she took all of him. Completely.

Michonne was already reaching for another orgasm and she couldn't believe it. She bucked wildly against Rick, thinking it was time. But he stopped. Again. Michonne couldn't hold back a groan.

Rick was surprised when he found himself being pushed over onto his back, Michonne mounting him. She was taking control. Rick chuckled.

His eyes became lidded as Michonne began to ride him, undulating her body expertly. He gripped her hips. Michonne was lost in a world of her own; she took Rick's hands and this time she was the one to press them to the pillows, holding him somewhat captive.

Rick growled low in his throat as he watched Michonne do what she wanted. Her breasts bounced becomingly. He wanted to grab them but he knew Michonne was in charge right now.

Rick: 2, Michonne: 2.

"I want you," Rick whispered. "I want you so bad, Michonne." He wanted her even as he had her.

Michonne breathed heavily and stared into Rick's eyes. She released his hands.

Rick immediately circled his arms around her waist again and sat up. They were completely intertwined. Rick thrusting and sinking into her and Michonne enveloping him completely. "Take me, Rick," she moaned. "Take me."

They came together in a frenzied tangle of limbs and sweat until they both froze at the height of climax and came down with intense release.

A slight kind of whimper left Michonne's throat and Rick released heavy breaths onto Michonne's neck as orgasmic spasms caused him to involuntarily thrust into her twice more.

They tremored in each other's arms as their heart rates came down and their breathing evened out. They finally drew back to look into each other's eyes. Michonne caressed Rick's cheek and they kissed each other languidly.

Rick trailed his fingers along Michonne's thigh as they pulled away from each other. He tapped her hip gently, signaling her to vacate his lap so he could move. Michonne ignored his signal.

"I don't want you to leave," Michonne said. For the past couple of nights, he had come in, given her the best sex of her life, and then left. "You can sleep here, you know. In the room with me."

"I know," Rick said. He turned and pointed at the digital clock on Michonne's nightstand. "But it's 5AM. I'm going to go out and patrol a bit until it's time to officially go on duty."

"Well, wait around and let me get dressed," Michonne said. "We can patrol together."

"No," Rick said. "You should get some more sleep. I'll come back and get you when it's time for official duty." He lifted Michonne from his lap and playfully laid her back in bed. He placed a kiss on her lips before getting up and putting his clothes back on.

Michonne propped herself up on her elbow and watched him.

"See you in a few, Michonne," he said. And then he left, the door closing softly behind him.

Michonne lay back onto her pillow with a sigh. Something was wrong and she didn't quite know what. Lately, she and Rick had just not been on the same page. They weren't on the same page about Alexandria, and now, it seemed...they weren't on the same page with their relationship.

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"We need to find out who broke Jessie's owl sculpture."

Michonne turned from admiring how untouched Alexandria was for the fiftieth time to see Rick walking down the street towards her. She studied him quietly for a moment after his words. "Could it have been one of her kids?" she asked.

"Why would one of her kids break her owl sculpture?" Rick asked.

"I don't know," Michonne said. "But isn't that what kids do? Break things? Maybe it was an accident and they just didn't want to tell her because they were afraid they'd get in trouble." Rick stared at her. "Happens all the time, Rick."

"We still need to look into it," Rick said. "I promised her I would."

Michonne stared at Rick for a moment. "Fine," she finally said. "We'll look into it." They began to walk down the street. "So are we going to _start_ with questioning her kids, or...?"

"No, Michonne," Rick snapped. "No. We're not going to _investigate_ Jessie's kids."

Michonne felt a sting of hurt shoot through her at Rick's tone. She held her hands up. "Okay," she said. "Just a suggestion. We'll do things your way, Rick. Who should we start questioning first?"

Rick nodded. "I was thinking we should talk to Pete-"

"So Jessie's kids are off limits but her husband isn't..."

"I was thinking we should talk to _Pete_ ," Rick pressed. "Because he may have seen or heard something."

"Or because it may have been him."

Rick stopped in his tracks and stared at Michonne. She stopped and stared back. "Yeah," Rick said. "Yeah, it may have been him. Is there something _wrong_ with me considering that possibility?"

"No..." Michonne said.

Rick stared at Michonne. She had a displeased look in her eyes. He took a step forward. "Is there somethin' you wanna say to me?"

"Yeah, there is," Michonne said, raising her chin. Rick waited. "I think you _want_ it to be Pete."

"And why would I want that?" Rick challenged.

"I don't know, Rick. You tell me," Michonne returned with a shrug.

Rick released a dry chuckle and glanced away from Michonne for a moment, breaking eye contact. "The man...is a _drunk_ , Michonne..." he stared into Michonne's eyes again. "Every time we see him, he's nursin' some kind o' drink. So yeah...Maybe I _do_ want him to be guilty just so the people here can wake up and see that a man like that doesn't need to be a _doctor_."

Michonne held back frustration that boiled beneath the surface. She spoke quietly, coolly angry. "It's an owl sculpture, Rick. The only thing people are gonna see is that Pete is a little clumsy if we take him in on a breaking-an-owl-sculpture charge."

"Destruction of property would be the correct term."

"Whatever! It's an owl sculpture. Let's just question the man and get this over with." Michonne stalked off and Rick followed after her.

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Rick stood in his house toying with his wedding band.

Pete had just left after some drunken speech about being friends. But Rick wasn't an idiot. The man had just not-so-subtly warned him to stay away from his wife. And maybe he was a little upset about how Michonne and Rick had questioned him earlier that day. Rick had to admit it hadn't been the most professional interrogation. Michonne had been upset and Rick had been upset so there was no good cop, bad cop. There was only angry cop and angrier cop.

Rick thought about Michonne. He wasn't sure where she was now. She had gone somewhere the minute they got back. Probably to get away from him. He hoped she would be coming back soon.

He could guess what she was upset about. She had somehow picked up on his infatuation with Jessie. A surge of frustration swelled within him. Did she have to be so observant at all times? Couldn't she just be oblivious while they explored their blossoming relationship?

Rick spun his wedding band on his finger some more, thinking about Lori.

In a lot of ways, Jessie reminded him of Lori. She represented normalcy and the life he and Lori had always wanted. A normal life in a normal neighborhood. Untouched by the ugliness behind those walls. Rick twisted his ring again. He would have that life. He would have _her_.

Jessie would be his normality. What he protected from the harshness of reality the way it was now. Michonne would be his equal. The one he brought his problems to, showed his scars to...Because she could handle it. He would have it all and there was nothing anyone could say to stop it.

He heard the door of his house opening and closing. He turned to see Carol walking into the room.

"Pete's hitting Jessie."

Rick cocked his head. This. This was more than an owl sculpture. This was his opportunity.

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Michonne laid in bed the next morning. She had come in late to avoid Rick. She had been planning to keep the door locked just in case he came to seek her out in the middle of the night but she had ended up not doing that.

They had gotten bad news yesterday evening. Noah and Aiden were dead. Tara was injured.

She had kept the door unlocked just in case Rick needed some kind of comfort through it all. He tended to take these things harder than anybody else because he always felt responsible. No matter what. He felt responsible for his group.

But Rick hadn't come. Michonne was disappointed because it was when he didn't come that she realized she needed comforting herself. Noah had become close to them in a short time, had been able to bond with Carl. He was one of theirs. And no one knew if Tara would pull through. These losses just enforced the fact that they weren't safe. Even behind these walls.

Michonne got up to retrieve her constable uniform from the laundry basket. She ended up lingering on Noah's shirt, remembering him wearing it just a couple of days ago. With a sigh, she put the shirt down and grabbed her uniform, laying it out on the bed.

What use was being a constable? She wasn't there when her people needed her. Being constable was a joke. It wasn't even a real job.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," she called out.

Rosita came through the door. "How is she?" Michonne asked, referring to Tara.

"She's okay. For now," Rosita reported. "Sasha hasn't come home. She's in the tower. She hasn't come back yet."

Michonne released a breath and grabbed her jacket. She was done sitting around and "patrolling" empty streets, looking into who might have broken a fucking owl sculpture. She was going to start taking care of her people.

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Rick confronted Pete later that evening on the street outside of the infirmary. He cut to the chase right from the start.

"You hitting your wife, Pete?" Rick asked, his hand on his belt.

Pete cocked his head as if he hadn't heard Rick properly. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Rick said. "You hittin' your wife? Your kids?"

Pete looked at Rick's stance. He faced him, squaring off. "Who told you that? Jessie tell you that?"

"It doesn't matter who told me," Rick said. "You just need to answer the question."

"I'm not answering shit," Pete said, feeling affronted. He placed his hands on his hips. "What's my wife's business got to do with you?"

"It's got to do with me if you're hurting your wife in any way, Pete. It's my job to know."

Pete laughed. "Job...Deanna just gave you and that other bitch this 'job' to keep you satisfied. No one needs a constable around here. Now get out of my face."

Rick clenched his teeth together, irritated now. "You really gonna fight me on this, Pete?" When Pete shook his head and began to walk away, not even bothering to respond, Rick pulled out his hidden gun and cocked the hammer. The click made Pete stop in his tracks. He turned slowly.

"...You're not supposed to have a gun..." Pete said, slowly holding his hands up. "No one is."

Rick shrugged. "Yeah, well, I got one." He didn't bother caring about the pedestrians on the street who were now watching the showdown with wide, fearful eyes.

"Go get Deanna!" Pete called out to the standersby.

"Yeah, go get Deanna," Rick said, uncaring. "It's not like it'll help. She won't be able to save you if what I suspect is right."

As a couple of people ran off to get Deanna, Pete stared at Rick. "What's the deal with you and my wife, Rick?" he asked. "I've noticed the way you look at her ever since you came here."

Rick just stared at Pete, knowing he could take this man's life if he just moved his finger.

"Rick? What's going on?"

Rick recognized Jessie's voice.

"Here she is, Rick," Pete said. "The woman you want so much. Why don't you ask her the question you just asked me."

"Shut up," Rick growled.

"Ask her," Pete said again.

"What's going on, Rick?" Jessie asked again, her voice shaky with trepidation.

"Jessie, is Pete hitting you?" He kept his eyes on Pete but glanced in Jessie's direction. She didn't speak. "Is he?" he asked. "Is he hurting you or the kids?"

Jessie and Pete shared a glance. That was all Rick needed. "Of course he isn't," Jessie said. "Rick, why do you have a gun? I don't- I don't understand."

Rick cocked his eyebrow. He was pretty sure Carol had been right. Pete was abusing Jessie and she was too scared to admit it. He zeroed in on his kill spot, ready to pull the trigger. "Put the gun down, Rick," Deanna's voice came. She had arrived from her office. "What's going on?"

Rick didn't answer.

"Put the gun down, Rick."

"This man...is beating his wife," Rick said to Deanna. "I'm going to take care of it. Isn't that why you assigned me to this job."

"We don't kill people, Rick," Deanna said. "That's not how we do things!"

"He's beating his wife!" Rick yelled. "We don't have a jail so it's either killing or exile! Which is it?"

"He's our only doctor, Rick!"

"So he's allowed to beat his wife and kids?!"

"Rick-" Deanna stepped forward and Rick turned the gun on her.

"Stay back," Rick warned.

Deanna froze. "Rick..."

"Stay back," Rick warned again. "Or I swear to God, I will shoot you. I will shoot everyone here if they get in my way." He stared at all of the fearful residents of Alexandria. They were all looking at him like he was a big, bad monster. He laughed. They had no idea. They had no idea what was out there. They were looking at _him_ like a monster? _Him_? "You're all so weak," he said. His frustration built. "It's pathetic! You don't deserve this place! You don't deserve-!"

A blow landed to the back of Rick's head and he felt a splitting pain that brought him to his knees, dazed. A wet trickle of what he assumed was blood left his hairline and fell onto his neck. He turned to see who had just struck him and felt such shock and betrayal upon seeing Michonne's hardened, unsympathetic face. She was holding a rock in her hand. She had struck him with a rock. "Get his gun," she said.

A man ran forward took the gun from Rick's hand. He was still staring up at Michonne. He couldn't believe that she had hit him. He didn't know why...

She didn't explain either. "I'm sorry about all this," she said to Deanna, ignoring Rick who was imploring her to look at him and explain her actions with his eyes. "Rick hasn't been himself lately. None of us have. I hope you can look past this..."

Deanna's face was pale and pinched but she nodded.

Rick finally received a glance from Michonne but he couldn't read her expression. He thought he saw pity but there was nothing else. She was guarded against him. She walked away, tossing the rock aside.

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That night, Michonne was sitting up on the couch when Rick came inside. She was still in her white tank top and jeans. Her feet were pulled up onto the cushions.

Rick walked inside, pulled his jacket off, but didn't say anything. He stood though... _wanting_ to say something. "Michonne..." he finally started. "I-"

"Get your shit together, Rick," she interrupted. "We can't afford to lose this place. Carl and Judith need this place."

"...I know..." Rick said.

"Do you?" Michonne asked. "Because you're acting like you don't. We _lost_ people yesterday. We lost Noah. We almost lost Tara. She's being treated by the man you tried to kill today-"

"He's a wife-beater, Michonne!"

"I don't care!" Michonne said harshly. "There's a wrong way and a right way to deal with things! You chose the wrong way! Deanna lost her son on the same run we lost Noah on! Maggie told me Gabriel has been telling Deanna we're bad people-!"

"What?"

"It doesn't matter!" Michonne said, noticing how Rick's eyes flashed angrily at the news about Gabriel. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Deanna is questioning whether she should have even brought us here in the first place and you're only making things worse!"

"That's why you hit me with a rock?" Rick asked. "Because you're afraid these people will kick us out of here? I told you they won't. They can't. They're too weak."

"That!" Michonne said, standing up. " _That_ is why I hit you with a rock! Listen to yourself! You're out of control! You're power hungry!"

"I'm not power hungry. I just know what needs to be done to keep this place safe."

"Waving a gun around is what needs to be done? Killing the only doctor on suspicion alone is what needs to be done? Do you even know that Sasha has locked herself in the tower and refuses to come down? She hasn't eaten for twenty-four hours!"

"...I didn't know that," Rick said. His eyes steeled. "But we can't let Pete get away with abuse just because he's got an important job."

"We won't!" Michonne said. "But we've gotta go through the right channels. We're not on the outside anymore. You're not the _leader_ anymore, Rick."

Rick nodded. The muscles in his jaw clenching. "Well, maybe I should be."

Michonne stared at Rick and felt frustrated tears well in her throat. She wasn't getting through to him. "Rick. _Please_."

"You're supposed to be on my side, Michonne."

"I'm always on your side, Rick."

"Lately, it doesn't seem like it."

Rick walked away from Michonne and up the stairs. As she watched him leave, she wished that he would not walk so far that he would be gone from her sight. But he did. And he was. Rick had gone so far from her that she wasn't sure if she could reach him ever again.

\- Is Michonne right? Is she wrong? Is Rick right? Is he wrong? Leave a review and let me know. -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Rick sat on the steps of his house with Jessie beside him. The day was warm and breezy. In other words, it was perfect. Or it would be if everything was going the way Rick planned. They weren't. He was close to winning Jessie, but Michonne's katana was gone from his mantel. She had left the house they were staying in together. She had left _him_.

He gritted his teeth together, still upset by the thought of it. She was always the one he could count on to have his back. It was like they were on two different paths since entering the safe zone. It was as if she couldn't understand the danger these people put them in by being weak.

"Thank you again, Rick," Jessie said, bringing his attention to her as a light breeze blew by. It brought with it the scent of soap and soft rain. Jessie's scent. "I don't know what we would have done if you wouldn't have allowed me and the boys to stay here. I don't see Pete backing off after what happened but I feel much safer staying here with you."

"Anything to help," Rick said with a smile.

Jessie met his eyes and smiled in return. "Did you get in a lot of trouble with Deanna?"

Rick held back a derisive scoff. She asked as if it mattered. Whether Deanna was upset with him or not was irrelevant. She couldn't do anything about it. "I think she's considering kicking me out," he said with a shrug.

Jessie's blue eyes widened slightly, feeling the panic he didn't feel. "That can't happen!" she said. She shook her head. "No. No, that can't happen. I'll talk to her. Don't worry. I won't let you get kicked out."

Rick studied her with an indulgent, amused smile. "I'm not worried..." he said. He wouldn't be leaving this place.

"Is your head okay?" Jessie asked, reaching out to run her fingers gently over the hair covering the spot that still smarted every now and then due to Michonne's hit.

"Yeah," Rick said. "I didn't wake up with a headache this morning so there's that."

Jessie gave a soft smile. "There's that..." she repeated softly.

The soft breeze played over the two people's skin as they stared at each other. Rick's eyes darted to Jessie's pink lips and he thought about sealing the deal when a blue uniform entered his vision and his focus strayed to a point over Jessie's head.

Michonne was walking down the street in her constable uniform, talking to Spencer, whose entire focus was on Michonne and what she was saying. Rick's eyes darkened. Jessie glanced over her shoulder to see what had caught Rick's attention. "Excuse me for a minute," Rick said to Jessie as he stood up and began to make his way towards Michonne and Spencer.

Apparently their conversation had just been finishing up because Spencer was walking away by the time Rick reached them. Rick stared after him with narrowed eyes before he turned to Michonne, who had turned to face Rick, her arms crossed over her chest. "Yes, Rick?" she greeted.

Rick stared down at Michonne with those same narrowed eyes. If Michonne was hoping for an apology or an enlightened Rick, those hopes were dashed to the ground. He was here for a fight. "So you've picked your side..." he accused.

Michonne barely held her frustration in. "There _are_ no sides, Rick. Unless you're talking about us versus the walkers. Then, yes, I'm on our side."

"You know what I'm talking about," Rick said. "You chose the Alexandrians over me."

Michonne sighed. "Rick..." That was so far from the truth she didn't even know how to put it into words.

"What were you talking to Spencer about?" Rick asked.

"I was lobbying to keep you here. He's Deanna's son. He can probably influence her decision."

"I don't need his help."

Michonne nodded. There would be no getting through to Rick right now so she wasn't keen on even entering into a conversation with him. "Well, I'm going to do what I can anyway."

"Well, thanks for the help," Rick said bitingly. Michonne frowned. She knew he was being sarcastic. He hadn't talked to her in that way since their first meeting, when he was unsure about her and her motives. Pricked that he could have those same insecurities now, after everything they had been through, Michonne rolled her eyes and turned away, wanting to escape Rick's biting tone and his negative energy. Her eyes fell on Jessie who was sitting on the stairs, watching them. "Go back to your girlfriend, Rick. She's waiting for you." She turned to walk away.

Rick caught her arm and turned her to face him again. "Stop walking away from me, Michonne."

"I'm not the one walking away, Rick." Michonne stared into his eyes. "I'm trying to keep you here. I'm trying to keep us _all_ here. Your kids need this place! Are you even thinking about them anymore?"

This time, Rick was the one who was pricked. "I've never stopped thinking about them." He couldn't believe Michonne was asking him that. They were supposed to understand each other on a deeper level. More than anyone else. "That's why we need to protect this place. _Our_ way!"

"We protect this place by not acting rashly!" Michonne yelled. "We keep this place by getting the Alexandrians on our side! Not keeping them on the outside! Building them up, getting them to help us guard this place! That's how we survive. Not just survive. _Live_. It's time for us to live, Rick."

Rick stared at Michonne. Her words were emphatic. Pushing at him, crawling under his defenses like Michonne herself had done long ago. A small part of himself began to second guess. Began to wonder. If Michonne was right. He didn't know. But he knew that he needed her. And that he needed her by his side. Not away from him. He leaned down and tried to capture her lips with his.

Michonne pushed against his chest and slapped him. Not hard. Just enough to get him to wake up. "Are you crazy?" she asked. Her glance fell on Jessie again. "Make a decision, Rick. And stick with it." She turned on her heel and walked away, flicking Rick's hand off when he tried to grab her again.

Rick sighed and let his head fall as she stalked away from him. Frustrated, he made his way back to his porch steps and a pensive-looking Jessie. He met her eyes. No words were spoken but he knew that he had broken an unspoken promise to her. He dipped his head, but he didn't dwell on the small feeling of disappointment he felt within himself. He couldn't. "Let's go," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder and leading her inside the house. "We gotta get you and the boys settled."

Jessie followed along willingly.

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A town meeting was held concerning Rick and his behavior. He wasn't in attendance. Anger built in Michonne's chest at the implication of his absence. He didn't care. He didn't care whether he was kicked out or not. He didn't care about how she or anyone else felt. He was being selfish and not thinking about his family. Not just Carl and Judith, but the ones who had stuck by him through everything.

Maggie, Glenn, Abraham, Michonne...they all spoke up on his behalf. But it was all moot since Rick didn't deem it necessary to show himself.

Deanna handed down her final decision after twenty minutes of deliberation. Rick was to be exiled.

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Michonne stood in the doorway of Rick's room later that night. He lay on his side atop his bed, his knees pulled up slightly and his arms crossed across his chest. His back was to her and he seemed to be sleeping. Michonne sighed.

She walked further into the room and closed the door. The snap of it caused Rick to wake up, alert. His eyes fell on Michonne and he relaxed.

"Oh...Hey," he said. He slung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. "Is the meeting over?"

"Where were you?" Michonne asked, her arms crossed across her chest.

Rick gestured at the expanse of the bed. His demeanor uncaring. "I was taking a nap," he said. "I was tired."

A mix of anger, pain, and disappointment engulfed Michonne. It felt as if she was carrying all of the weight that Rick was casting off with his careless attitude. She stalked forward and grabbed an empty traveling bag from the closet. She pushed it into Rick's chest. "Here," she said harshly. "Pack up. You're being exiled."

A stillness froze Rick's body and a humorless chuckle left his throat. "Are you gonna escort me out personally?" he asked, his blue eyes squinting up at her. Michonne didn't answer him; she stalked back to his closet, grabbed a handful of his clothes and threw them on the bed, getting ready to pack them.

Rick stood up, all of the angry energy in his body directed toward Michonne. He snatched his shirts from beneath her hand and threw them to the floor. "Are you _with_ them?" he asked. "You think they're right?! To kick me out?!"

"You're pushing against this place, Rick. Acting like a wild animal. You're scaring people. I'm not surprised they're kicking you out."

"I'm not leaving," Rick said, staring down at Michonne. "That was never an option. Oh, I knew they would _try_ , but it's not gonna happen."

Michonne watched Rick's eyes go over her shoulder and focus on the future. Some plan he had come up with while others had been trying to focus on the present or get away from the past. "What are you gonna do?" she asked. Rick didn't hear her. She grabbed his chin and turned his face to her own. "What are you going to do?" she asked again, more forcefully.

Rick saw her now. He jerked away from her hand. "I'm going to take this place. Make it safe for my family. For _us_."

"How?"

"We kidnap the family. Tonight. Hold them hostage. We'll probably have to kill them. The Alexandrians are weak. If they don't have a leader, they'll follow us like sheep."

"What about the ones that don't?" Michonne asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "The ones who refuse to follow people who killed their friends? What would we do with them? Lock them in boxcars? Like at Terminus? Force them into slavery? Like at the hospital? Come in and take what's not ours? ...Like the _Governor_?"

Rick's eyes flashed a warning. Michonne stepped closer, ignoring it.

"Have we really gotten to that point, Rick? Are you really going to become that?"

Rick was silent, his blue eyes boring into hers. "It's fight or die," Rick said, refusing to back down from the slim 5 foot 7 force in front of him. "Kill or be killed." Michonne's nostrils flared. "Are you with me?"

Michonne felt that pain again. That hurt that only Rick could cause. He was the one who had saved her. The one who had accepted her into the fold. The one who had opened her up. Now he was becoming just another shadow. Another derelict who allowed the outside world to change him into something unrecognizable. Something he wouldn't be able to come back from. Fighting the tears building up behind her eyelashes, Michonne pushed Rick's chest.

He stumbled backwards, his look of anger turning to confusion.

Michonne pushed him again, the palms of her hands landing hard, promising to leave bruises.

A tear slipped past Michonne's defenses and down her cheek. "Hey..." Rick said, surprised by the turn of events.

Michonne pushed him one last time and stared at him with such anger and pain that Rick wanted to look away, but he couldn't. "I'm with you, Rick," Michonne said. "I will go out there and help you destroy that family if that's what you want me to do. Hell, I would help you destroy this whole town. But that's not _us_! We wouldn't be the same. We'd just be another group of monsters! Just like those things outside the walls. Except worse. Because we're supposed to be human."

Michonne wiped her cheeks free of tears. "We've made it out there before," she said. "We can make it again. Please." She released a passionate breath. "Let's just leave."

"...We?" Rick asked.

"I'm with you, Rick," Michonne said again.

Silence. The air stretched between them.

Rick was bowed over. There was no other description for it. "You-you wanted this place..." Rick said, unable to believe she was saying what he thought she was saying. Because what he thought she was saying is that she would follow him into exile. That she would face that world again. For him.

Michonne looked away. She did want this place. But not more than she wanted Rick to have peace of mind. "My stuff is already packed and ready to go," she said. "I got it ready last night. Just in case."

"Why...why are you doing this?" Rick asked. His hand shook. His eyes watered slightly. "I don't deserve it." His voice was a low whisper.

"I know what it's like to be out there alone," Michonne said. "And I know what it feels like to have a friend choose comfort over companionship. I don't want that to be me. And I won't let that be you."

Rick released a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes. His whole world was shifting in this moment. His entire outlook was changing. He felt similar to how he felt when he was waking up from his deep coma dream. "I~ I can't let you do that," he finally said. "I can't let you follow me out there. Carl needs you. Judith. They need someone to take care of them."

"Carl can take care of himself," Michonne said. " _And_ Judith. I'll explain things to him. He'll understand. He'll want someone to be out there with you. In fact, we'll probably have to talk him down from coming with us anyway. Maybe other people from the group too..."

Rick sighed and sat down in the armchair across from his bed. The weight of what he had done coming down on his shoulders. "I screwed up," he realized.

An overwhelming caring for Rick Grimes swelled in Michonne's chest as she looked on. She went to him and placed a comforting hand on his bowed head. Rick leaned into her and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her there.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. Or if there would even be a tomorrow. But he had been foolish to think that he needed anyone but this woman by his side. Even if he were thrown into exile or if he could somehow talk himself out of the mess he created...whatever happened...he would be okay because Michonne was with him. And she was, more and more, becoming his world.

The End


End file.
